Separator for vacuum systems



H. C. NIEMEYER. SEPARATOR FOR VACUUM SYSTEMS.

Patented Oct. 12, 1920.

3 $HEETSSHEET 1- APPLICATION FILED JAN. 7 1916.

H. C. NIEMEYER.

SEPARATOR FOR VACUUM SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 7, I916. 1,355,617. Batented 0ct.12,1920.

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H. C. NIEMEYER.

SEPARATOR FOR VACUUM SYSTEMS.

-APPLlCATl0N FILED JAN. 1, [916.

Patented Oct. 12, 1920.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY O. NIEMEYER, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO RICHMOND RADIATOR COMPAN'Y, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

SEPARATOR FOR VACUUM SYSTEMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 7, 1916. Serial No. 70,756.

1 "o a] Z w hem it may concern Be it known that I, linxnr C. NInMnYnR, a citizen of the United States, and resident of T acony, Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania,"

have invented certain new and useful 1mprovements in Separators for Vacuum Systems, or" which the following is a specification.

My invention relates in general to a mechanism for automatically opening a conduit having a pressure condition therein different from the external air pressure, such as a vacuum cleaning apparatus, without materially affecting this pressure condition in the conduit, and in the form of such a device selected for disclosure, the invention specifically relates to that part of a vacuum (leaning apparatus involved in discharging the collected dust and dirt from the system.

In general, the primary object of the invention is to improve the efficiency of devices or" the above outlined character, and specifically, one of the objects of the invention is to provide a simple type of apparatus for separating the dust and dirt from the low pressure circuit in the vacuum system and for periodically discharging this refuse automatically without affecting the pressure condition or in any other way interrupting the continuous operation of the apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to provide a refuse separator which may discharge from a space under a reduced pressure condition directly into a sewer or other space under a relatively high or unreduced pres sure condition.

Broadly, I attain these objects by spraying the collected dust with water on its way to the separator, and trapping the wet dust and water in a receptacle above a valve controlled outlet therefrom. This outlet is nor mally held closed by means of the reduced pressure condition above the level of the collea-ting water in the receptacle.

A. float control actuated by the water level in the receptacle periodically equalizes the reduced pressure condition on'opposite sides of the outlet, thus permitting the collected dust and water to flow from the receptacle. The float control then changes the pressure condition which closes the outlet and the discharged retuse is passed gravitationally into a sewer or other suitable outlet.

main discharge valve designed to prevent quivering of the same on its seat with resulting leakage and impairment of the efiiciency of the device.

I attain this object by providing a valve control including a valve actuating mechanism equipped with means for locking the same in its fully closed and in its fully opened position, until the final movement, in

each direction, of the reciprocating float in the liquid receiving receptacle operatively engages the mechanism to snap the valve from one into the other of its locked positions.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a device of the above indicated character which will possess certain safety features, which will be unaii'ected by variations of pressure conditions within the apparatus; which may be operated without special attention and which will be shut off automatically from the pump or other pressure reducing means in case the discharge con trolling valve should fail to operate or in case of certain other accidents which are apt to occur in devices of this character.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be in part obvious from an inspection of the accompanying drawings and in part will be more fully set forth in the following particular description of one form of mechanism embodying my invention, and the invention also consists in certain new and novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a preferred embodiment of my invention with parts broken away to show internal construction Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View of the upper portion of the tank shown in Fig. 1 and taken axially therethrough on a plane it right angles to the view shown in Fig.1;

Fig. l is an enlarged view in horizontal section of the discharge control, showing a Patented Oct. 12, 1920..

portion of the float and showing an adja cent part of the tank in dot and dash outline; V i

Fig. 5 is a'view in side elevation of the control device of Fig. 4 with parts shown in vertical section and showing in full lines the position of the parts with the valve open and the float moving from one of the dot and dash positions into the other;

v Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of the controlling valve taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5; and

Figs. 7 and 8 are each vertical sectional views of the external piping system taken respectively on the lines 7'7 and S8 of i i In the following description and in the claims, parts will be identified by specific names for convenience of expression but they are intended to be as generic in their application to similar parts as the art will permit. 7

In the drawings there is shown a wet tank 10 designed to be supported in upright p 'sition preferably conveniently located to make an easy connection with the sewer or other discharge space. The upper end of the tank is defined by a header 11 outlining the'upper end of a receptacle constitutin a'separating chamber 12, the lower end or which chamber is defined by a concaved partition 13 fitting within the tank inter1ne diate its height. A lower concaved header 14 is positioned below the head 13 and coacts therewith to provide an auxiliary cham ber .15 of a capacity slightly larger than the greatest volume of water designed to be discl'iarged from the device at each actuation of the discharging means and positioned at a lower level than the separating chamber so that liquid may flow by gravity from the separating chamber into the discharge chamber.

The chambers are designed to be placed in communication through an outlet 16 positioned in the lowest point of the partition 18. The outletis normally closed by means of a swing valve 17 which includes a bell crank lever 18 pivoted to the under side of the valve seat 19 outlining the outlet, and held in valve closing position by means of a weight 20, adjustably mounted on an arm of the lever. The weight is adjustable along the lever arm and is designed merely to insure a leverage suflicient to close the valve, but this leverage is not so effective as to retard the opening of the valve when subjected to the valve opening effect of the water collected in the chamber 12.

The lowest point of the head 14 is provided with a discharge port 21 from which leads a drain pipe 22 designed to open to a sewer or other discharge space having a pressure greater than the working pressure in the separating chamber 12.

symbolically a pump. or other means for maintaining a reduced pressure condition in the wet tank and in thepiping system leading thereto. V Y

A piping system is positioned exteriorly of the tank and includes a verticaliy disposed U-pipe 27, one arm 28 of which con- 7 stitutes a depending portion of the main service intake pipe of the vacuum cleaning system. The crotch portion of the U-pipe constitutes an atomizer 29 (Fig. 8) which is supplied with water from the supply pipe 30. The water and wetted dust is discharged therei'rom through the atomizer nozzle 31 into the riser 32 which forms the other arm of the U-pipe. The atomizer is positioned well below the bottom 01 the separating chamber and the riser leads upwardly to a condenser 33 (Fig. 7). The condenser is positioned in a horizontally disposed pipe 34 positioned at a level about midway of the height of the chamber 12. The portion of the pipe 34 positioned between the condenser and separator tank is formed into an ell 35 which opens into the chamber 12 through a port 36in the side of the chamber intermediate its height and this pipe is attached to the outside of the tank by means of a tangent flange 37. The upper portions of the chambers 12 and 15 are designed to be connected by a by-pass pipe 38, the upper end of which opens from the chamber 12 through a reduced port-hole -39 at a point adjacent the upper portion thereof and the lower end of which opens into the chamber 15 through a port hole 40 in the upper portion of the side of the chamber 15 and-preferably a short distance above the level of the valve seat 19. Pressure communication through the by-pass pipe is governed by means of an automatic discharge control artuated main float 41. positioned in the chamber 12. The control in cludes a valve 42 of the sliding plunger type positioned within a bore 43 of a valve body 44 and extending across the bore of the bypass pipe. The valve plunger 42 is formed of two disks with an opening 45 therebe tween designed when alined with the bore oi the by-pass pipe to permit communica tion therethrough. The open bottom end of the bore 44 is covered by a perforated chamber 15 through the bypass pipe 38. One of the disks 47 is designed to be moved into position to intercept communication through the by-pass pipe when raised from the position shown in Fig. 5. A valve link 48 has one end pivoted to ears 49 projecting from the upper end of the valve plunger, the other end of which link is loosely connected through a pin and slot connection 50 with the free end of a valve lever 51. The other end of this lever is fulcrumed by means of a pivot 52 screwed into the side face of a vertically disposed supporting plate 53 fastened to the outsideof the tank 11 .and designed to removably support the control and the by-pass pipe.

The lever is in the general form of a flat ring with a centrally disposed opening 54 into which extend oppositely disposed adjustable stops 55. The inner ends of the stops are designed to be engaged by opposite sides of the free end of a finger 56 positioned for rotary movement within the opening and fixed to a float controlled shaft 5'? rotatably mounted in bearings 58 and extending through the chamber 12. The float 41 is secured to the shaft by means of arms 59 designed to rotate the shaft by the rise and fall of the liquid level in the chamber 12.

The free end of the lever is defined by top and bottom bearing faces 60 converging toward this end of the lever and designed to be engaged by the presser roller 61 mount-ed upon a presser rod 62 normally forced into a bearing engagement with one of the faces 60 by means of a spring 68 housed within a box 64 fixed to the plate 53. This spring acts on the lever 51 and through this lever acts on the valve 42 to positively snap the valve into either a fully opened or a fully closed position when the float has moved the lever in proper direction from the position shown in Fig. 5 to effect the opening or closing.

In order to positively insure the locking of the valve in its normally closed position a spring latch 65 engages the valve. This latch is formed of a pair of spheres forced by springs 67 into bearing engagement with opposite sides of the link 48 and designed to snap into grooves 68 in the sides of the link.

The port 25, providing communication between the chamber 12 and the pressure producing means, is designed to be closed by a safety valve 69 actuated by an abnormal rise of liquid level in the chamber 12. The valve is attached, by means of a tube 70, to a float 71 positioned above the float 41 and between the port 36 and by-pass port hole 39. The valve, tube and float constitute a float controlled unit slid-ably mounted on a vertically disposed guide rod '52. The

upper end of this rod is fixed to a spider 73 within the conduit 26 and the lower end is fixed to a bracket 74 constituting a support for the float controlled unit.

The condenser is provided with an observation glass 75 and the chamber 12 is provided with a sight opening 76 permitting convenient inspection of the operation of the apparatus. The device is also provided with a pressure gage 77, a water level gage 78 and a valve 79 for controlling the water supplied to the atomizer. I

In operation, the pump is started and the valve 79 opened to permit a flow of water to the atomizer sufiicient to care for the amount of refuse carried through the system. At this time, and with no water in the separating chamber, the float 41 will be in its lowermost position and the valve 42 locked in position to prevent reducing of pressure on the underside of the valve 17. The normal pressure in the chamber 15 will act on the valve to hold the same closed and through the suction pipe and the dust as it passes the atomizer is charged with water. From the atomizer the dust laden water passes through the condenser and into the chamber 12. As the chamber 12 is under vacuum, the swing valve is maintained in its closed position and this condition will be maintained until the rising of the water level in the chamber actuates the float 41 which in turn acts on the valve 42 to open communication through the bypass pipe and thus place the chamber 15 under the same reduced pressure condition as exists in the chamber 12. i I

As the float 41 rises, it swings the tinge 56 toward the lower stop 55 and as it approaches the end of its movement the finger presses on this stop to depress the free end of the lever 51. Due to the pin and slot connection between the lever and valve. the lever is permitted some movement without affecting the set position of the valve. As the lever approaches the position thereof shown in Fig. 5, one of the bearing faces engages the spring pressed roller 61 to de-. press the same and thus permit the free end of the lever to swing past this roller. As the pointed end of the lever clears the roller. the upper bearing face is acted upon by the roller and the lever is forced by the action of the spring 63 into its fully lowered position. The slot of the connection 50 is so proportioned that this final snapping of the i by the'roller 61 until the fall of the fioat 411 causes a reversalin the action of the float c'ontrol'to restore the valve to its normally closed position.

- The weight of the water collected in the chamber 12 acts on the valve 17 to open the same and thus permit the dust charged water collected in the chamber to pass through the port 16 and collect in the chamber 15. The lowering of the liquid level in the chamber 12 causes the valve 42 to rise from the position shown in Fig. 5 as previously described,

again intercepting communication through the by-pass pipe shutting oil the chamber 15 from the chamber12 and opening chamber 15 to atmosphere through the lower end or" the bore 4 1. This breaking or equalization of pressure between chambers 12 and 15 will permit the swing valve 17 to again close on its seat and thus permit the water level to rise in the chamber 12. The weight of the water collected in the discharge chamber 15 will act on the check valve 23 to open the same and permit the water to drain from the chamber 15 directly into the sewer connection. 7

When the water has passed from the chamber 15, the check valve will reclose and the device is again in condition to discharge the next mass of accumulated dust charged water.

Should the discharge device fail to operate for any reason the rising water in the chamber 12 will eventually act on the valve 71 to shut off the pump from the chamber 12 and automatically'stop the operation of the vacuum cleaning system. This will notify the operator that something is wrong and the water supply valve 79 is shut off either manually or by some suitable mechanism actuated by the cessation of operation of the system. 7

WVhile I have shown and described, and have pointed out in the annexed claims, certain novel features of my invention, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation' may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus fully described my inven.

receptacle for reducing the high pressure in the discharge space thereby causing the collected liquid to be discharged from the space of relatively low pressure to the space of relatively high pressure.

2. In a device of the class described, a space of relatively low pressure including a receptacle for liquid collected from the space, a discharge space of relatively high pressure normally open to atmospheric pressure and valvular means controlled by the amount of liquid in the receptacle for shutting off said discharge space from the atmosphere and for reducing the pressure therein to discharge the collected liquid from the space of relatively low pressure to the space of relatively high pressure.

3. In a device of the class described, a

conduit provided with means designed to have a pressure reducing means operatively connected thereto to maintain a continuous condition of reduced pressure in the con duit under all working conditions of the device, an outlet from said conduit, a weighted valve for closing said outlet and means controlled by the liquid collected in said conduit above the valve for reducing the pressure on the underside of the valve, thereby permitting the collected liquid to act on the weighted valve to open the same and thus pass from the reduced pressure containing conduit.

4. In a device of the class described, a separator fixed in place and including two chambers immovable relative to each other, one at a lower level than the other to permit liquid to flow from the upper to the lower chamber, a valve controlled port between said chambers designed to be opened by the weight of liquid in the upper chamher, said upper chamber provided with an opening thereto designed to have a means operatively connected thereto so as to maintain a condition of reduced pressure in the upper chamber and means controlled automatically by the rising liquid in the upper chamber for reducing pressure in the lower chamber to permit the liquid in the upper chamber to open the valve and flow into the lower' chamber.

5. In a device of the class described, a separator fixed in place and including two chambers immovable relative to each other, arranged one at a lower level than the other to permit liquid to flow from the upper to the lower chamber, said lower chamber provided witha valve controlled discharge port and otherwise closed at all times to external atmospheric conditions, a port providing communication between said chambers, a valve normally closing said port and designed to be opened by the liquid in the upper chamber, said upper chamber provided with an opening designed to have a vacuum producing means connected thereto for maintaining acondition of reduced pressure in said upper member, a bypass for maintaining said chambers with similar pressure conditions therein and a valve for control ling said bypass.

6. An upstanding tank provided with a horizontally disposed partition dividing the same into two chambers and provided with an outlet to permit liquid to flow from the upper to the lower chamber, means for introducing liquid into the upper chamber, a weighted valve normally closing said outlet and designed to be open by the weight of the liquid thereon when pressure conditions are equalized in the chambers, means for constantly maintaining a reduced pressure condition in the upper chamber and a valve controlled by-pass between the upper portions of said chambers for reducing the pressure in the lower chamber when said bypass is open and means independent of the reduced pressure condition in said lower chamber for discharging the liquid from the lower chamber.

7. In a device of the class described, a receptacle designed to receive a liquid and provided with an outlet, a normally closed valve for controlling said outlet, the space on both sides of the valve designed to be opened to pressure reducing means to maintain the valve closed while the level of liquid is rising in the receptacle, and means controlled by the liquid level in the receptacle for modifying the action of said pressure means on the valve to permit the weight of water to open said outlet.

8. In a device of the class described, a receptacle designed to receive a liquid and provided with an outlet, a normally closed valve for controlling said outlet, the space on' both sides of the valve designed to be opened to pressure reducing means to maintain the valve closed while the level of liquid is rising in the receptacle, and means controlled by the liquid level in the receptacle for modifying the action of said pressure means on the valve to permit the weight of water to open said outlet and locking means acting on said level controlled means for preventing the actuation of the same until the liquid has reached a definite actuating level. i

9. In a device or" the class described, a two chambered receptacle with the chambers superimposed to permit a flow from the upper to the lower, a normally closed valve between the chambers, each chamber provided with an opening thereto designed to place the same in communication with a single pressure reducing means, a normally closed valve for controlling the pressure through the upper of the openings and a float in one of the chambers for opening said valve on a rise of liquid level in said chamber thereby to open both chambers to the pressure reducing means.

10. In a device of the class described, a two chambered receptacle with the chambers superimposed to permit a flow from the.

trolling the pressure through the upper of the openings, a float in one of the chambers for controlling said valve, a port between said chambers a weighted valve normally closing said port and operatively controlled by the pressures in said chambers.

11. In a device of the class described, a two chambered receptacle, each chamber provided with an opening thereto designed to place the same in communication with each other, a pressure reducing means open to the upper chamber and closed off from the lower chamber except through the upper chamber, a valve for controlling the pressure through one of the openings, a float in one of the chambers for controlling said valve, a port between said chambers, a valve normally closing said port and moved to open position. by the weight of liquid in the float containing chamber, and a valve controlled outlet from one of the chambers, both outlets operatively controlled by the pressures in said chambers.

12. In a device of the class described, a conduit designed to have a low pressure therein, a valve in said conduit, a valve control for suddenly snapping said valve to and from a closed position, said control including a float actuated member,and a spring pressed plunger bearing on said control for locking said member in either one of two positions one position with the valve fully opened and the other position with the valve fully closed.

13. In a device of the class described, a plunger type of valve and a valve control for suddenly snapping the plunger from one into another set position, a lever fastened to said plunger, a spring pressed plunger engaging said lever for holding the same in either of its set positions and a float controlled shaft provided with a finger having a loose engagement with said lever for actuating the same when said member reaches either of its extreme positions.

14. In a device of the class described, a receptacle designed to receive liquid, a float in said receptacle, an outlet from said receptacle, a weighted valve normally closing said outlet, means for admitting {atmospheric pressure to act on said'valve to hold the same closed, means for reducing said atmospheric pressure on said valve, a pressure controlling valve for controlling said last named means, and a connection between said float and'pressure controlling valve for positively opening the same'when said float reaches a'present level in the receptacle.

I 15. In a device of the class described, the combination of two chambers in fluid communication with each other, a valve tor controlling said communication, each chamber provided with means designed to be connected with a pressure reducing device thereby to control said valve, a valve for controlling one of said means, resilient means engaging said second valve for holdreceptacle designed to receive liquid and having a normally closed valve controlled outlet, said receptacle provided with an opening designed to communicate with a pressure reducing means for controlling said outlet, a valve positioned exteriorly of the receptacle for controlling said opening, a

' float in said receptacle above said outlet,a

shaft actuated by the float, a lever loosely pi'votedto the valve and an actuating finger controlled by the float shaft and acting on said lever for snapping said valve suddenly to an open position thereby to open said outlet positively when said float has reached a definite position under the action of the rising liquid in said receptacle.

17 In a device of the class described, a

receptacle designed to receive liquid and provided with a port designed to be opened to a pressure controlling device, a safety valve for closing said port, and float con-' trolled means operatively connected to sa d valve for automatically closing off the pres sure controllingdevice from the receptacle upon an abnormal rise'of liquid level in the receptacle. 7 V q 7 18. In a device of the class described, a

receptacle designed to receive liquid and provided with a port designed to be opened to a pressure controlling device, a safety valve for closing sa d port, and float controlled means operatively connected to said valve for automatically closing oil the pressure controlling device from the receptacle upon an abnormal rise of liquid level in the receptacle, said means being weighted to maintain the valve normally in open position. 1

' 19. In a device of the class described, the.

combination of a chamber'having a'liquid j inlet thereto, a liquid discharge mechanism including a: float in the chamber normally positioned below said inlet, said receptacle providedwith-a port above said'inlet for co nmunication'with a pressure controlling device, a normally opened safety valve for said port and a float for controlling said safety valve, said last named float being positioned to be actuated at a higher liquid level in the receptacle than the level for ac-" tuating the liquid discharge controlling float.

' 20; In a device of the class described, a receptacle fixed against movement and designedto'receive a liquid and provided with a port designed to be opened to a pressure controlling mechanism, means controlled by the liquid as it reaches a definite level in the receptacle for discharging the liquid from said receptacle, a valve for closing said port and safety means controlled by the rise of the liquid'above said definite level for actuating said valve.

21. In a device of the class described,-tlie combination of a receptacle fixed against movement and for collecting liquid and provided with a port continuously opened to a pressure reducing means for drawing liquid into the receptacle, a valve controlled outlet from said receptacle and means controlled by the liquid collected in said receptacle for opening said outlet without materially at,

fecting the constantly present reduced pressure condition in the receptacle.

22. In a device of the class'described, the combination of a receptacle fixed against movement and for collecting liquid and provided witha port continuously opened to a reduced pressure means for drawing liquid continuously into the receptacle and automatically actuated means within said low pressure containing receptacle for p'eriodi-' cally discharging thecollecte'd liquid from the receptacle. r

23. 'In a device of the class described, the combination with a liquid receiving receptacle having an outlet at the bottom'of the same and a normally closed valve croontrolling the liquid discharge from saidreceptacle, of pressure means acting on OPEN). site sides of said valve for holding the same closed against the opening action of the liquid pressing down upon the same, a float,

means controlled thereby for creating a pressure less than atmospheric pressure on opposite sides of the valve thereby permitting the overbalancing .Weightof the liquid to open the valve, and means for delaying the action of said pressure equalizing means until the float has reacheda present position. S gned at Philadelphiafln the county of Philadelphia and -State of Pennsylvania,

this twenty-ninth day of December, A.. D.

r V VHENRY C.'NIEMITZER.. WVitness:

JACOB Beer. 

